UmTshumayeli 9
1 Ngoba konke lokhu ngakubeka enhliziyweni yami ukuhlolisisa konke lokhu, ukuthi abalungileyo labahlakaniphileyo lezenzo zabo kusesandleni sikaNkulunkulu; loba uthando kumbe inzondo, kakho umuntu okwaziyo, konke okuphambi kwabo.
So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.
2 Konke kwehla ngokufananayo kubo bonke; sinye isehlakalo kolungileyo lakomubi, komuhle, lakohlambulukileyo lakongahlambulukanga, lakonikela umhlatshelo lakonganikeli umhlatshelo; njengolungileyo sinjalo isoni, ofungayo njengowesaba isifungo.
It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.
3 Yilobu ububi phakathi kwakho konke okwenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga, ukuthi sinye isehlakalo kukho konke, futhi lenhliziyo yabantwana babantu igcwele ububi, lobuhlanya busenhliziyweni yabo besaphila, lemva kwalokhu baya kwabafileyo.
This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.
4 Ngoba kulowo ohlanganiswe labo bonke abaphilayo kulethemba, ngoba inja ephilayo ingcono kulesilwane esifileyo.
There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Ngoba abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bazakufa, kodwa abafileyo kabazi lutho, njalo kabaselawo umvuzo, ngoba ukukhunjulwa kwabo sekukhohlakele.
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Futhi uthando lwabo lenzondo yabo lomona wabo sekubhubhile, njalo kabasayikuba lesabelo laphakade kukho konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.
7 Hamba, udle ukudla kwakho ngentokozo, unathe iwayini lakho ngenhliziyo elenjabulo, ngoba uNkulunkulu usethokozile ngemisebenzi yakho.
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
8 Izigqoko zakho kazibe ngezimhlophe ngesikhathi sonke, lamafutha angasweleki ekhanda lakho.
Let your garments always be white, and never spare the oil for your head.
9 Kholisa impilo lomkakho omthandayo zonke izinsuku zempilo yakho eyize akunike yona ngaphansi kwelanga, zonke izinsuku zakho eziyize, ngoba lesi yisabelo sakho empilweni, lemtshikatshikeni owutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga.
Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.
10 Loba kuyini isandla sakho esikutholayo ukukwenza kwenze ngamandla akho, ngoba kawukho umsebenzi lecebo lolwazi lenhlakanipho engcwabeni lapho oya khona. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. (Sheol h7585)
11 Ngaphenduka ngabona ngaphansi kwelanga ukuthi umjaho kawusiwabalejubane, lempi kayisiyamaqhawe, futhi lesinkwa kasisabahlakaniphileyo, futhi lenotho kayisiyabalolwazi, futhi lomusa kawusiwezingcitshi, kodwa isikhathi lesehlakalo kwehlela bonke.
I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
12 Ngoba futhi umuntu kasazi isikhathi sakhe; njengenhlanzi ezibanjwa embuleni elibi, lanjengezinyoni ezibanjwa emjibileni, njengazo abantwana babantu bayabanjwa esikhathini esibi, lapho sibajuma.
For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.
13 Lale inhlakanipho ngayibona ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo yaba nkulu kimi.
I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:
14 Kwakukhona umuzi omncinyane, okwakulabantu abalutshwana phakathi kwawo; kwasekusiza inkosi enkulu kuwo, yawuvimbezela, yawakhela amadundulu amakhulu okuvimbezela.
There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.
15 Kwasekutholakala phakathi kwawo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ongumyanga, yena-ke ngenhlakanipho yakhe wawukhulula lowomuzi. Kanti kakho owake wamkhumbula lowomuntu ongumyanga.
Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
16 Mina ngasengisithi: Inhlakanipho ingcono kulamandla, lanxa ukuhlakanipha komyanga kuseyiswa lamazwi akhe engalalelwa.
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
17 Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo azwiwa ekupholeni ngcono kulokumemeza kobusayo phakathi kwezithutha.
The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.
18 Inhlakanipho ingcono kulezikhali zempi, kodwa isoni esisodwa sichitha ubuhle obunengi.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
